Melvin Mars awaits his fate in the wing of the condemned. He was one of the most talented stars in American football until, at the age of twenty, he was arrested and convicted for the murders of his parents.

When FBI agent Amos Decker learns that Melvin was saved seconds before execution because someone else confessed to the murders, he investigates the Mars murders to uncover what really happened. It soon becomes clear that there is someone out there with a lot to hide and a secret that everyone is trying to uncover.

As the investigation progresses, Decker and his team uncover many lies and a deception that stems from a period in American history that most would prefer to forget, while others would like to remember.